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As the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup proceeds, teams will secure their spot in the knockout stage, which begins on June 28 and wraps up with the World Cup final on July 19. The field of 48 will be whittled down to 32, and then the titular knockouts will begin, with extra time and penalty shootouts occurring as needed to determine a winner. Here are the teams that have managed to punch a ticket to the knockout stage of the World Cup so far. Netherlands’ Group Stage Results June 14: Netherlands 2-2 JapanJune 20: Netherlands 5-1 SwedenJune 25: Netherlands 3-1 Tunisia Sweden’s Group Stage Results June 14: Sweden 5-1 TunisiaJune 20: Netherlands 5-1 SwedenJune 25: Sweden 1-1 Japan Japan’s Group Stage Results June 14: Japan 2-2 NetherlandsJune 20: Japan 4-0 TunisiaJune 25: Japan 1-1 Sweden Ivory Coast’s Group Stage Results June 14: Ivory Coast 1-0 EcuadorJune 20: Ivory Coast 1-2 GermanyJune 25: Ivory Coast 2-0 Curaçao Ecuador’s Group Stage Results June 14: Ecuador 0-1 Ivory CoastJune 20: Ecuador 0-0 CuraçaoJune 25: Ecuador 2-1 Germany South Africa’s Group Stage Results June 11: South Africa 0-2 MexicoJune 18: South Africa 1-1 CzechiaJune 24: South Africa 1-0 South Korea Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Group Stage Results June 12: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 CanadaJune 18: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-4 SwitzerlandJune 24: Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar Brazil’s Group Stage Results June 13: Brazil 1-1 MoroccoJune 19: Brazil 3-0 HaitiJune 24: Brazil 3-0 Scotland Morocco’s Group Stage Results June 13: Morocco 1-1 BrazilJune 19: Morocco 1-0 ScotlandJune 24: Morocco 4-2 Haiti Canada’s Group Stage Results June 12: Canada 1-1 Bosnia and HerzegovinaJune 18: Canada 6-0 QatarJune 24: Canada 1-2 Switzerland Swizerland’s Group Stage Results June 13: Switzerland 1-1 QatarJune 18: Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia and HerzegovinaJune 24: Switzerland 2-1 Canada Colombia’s Group Stage Results June 17: Colombia 3-1 UzbekistanJune 23: Colombia 1-0 DR CongoJune 27: Colombia vs. Portugal — Miami Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Norway’s Group Stage Results June 16: Norway 4-1 IraqJune 22: Norway 3-2 SenegalJune 26: Norway vs. France — Boston Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) France’s Group Stage Results June 16: France 3-1 SenegalJune 22: France 3-0 IraqJune 26: France vs. Norway — Boston Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Argentina’s Group Stage Results June 16: Argentina 3-0 AlgeriaJune 22: Argentina 2-0 AustriaJune 27: Argentina vs Jordan — Dallas Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Germany’s Group Stage Results June 14: Germany 7-1 CuraçaoJune 20: Germany 2-1 Ivory CoastJune 25: Germany 1-2 Ecuador USA’s Group Stage Results June 12: USA 4-1 ParaguayJune 19: USA 2-0 AustraliaJune 25: USA vs Türkiye – Los Angeles Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One) Mexico’s Group Stage Results June 11: Mexico 2-0 South AfricaJune 18: Mexico 1-0 South KoreaJune 24: Mexico 3-0 Czechia​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

At long last, Canada has won a World Cup game. In its eighth attempt across three tournaments, Canada was lifted by Jonathan David’s hat trick in a comfortable 6-0 win over Qatar in Vancouver, moving to the top of Group B with four points from its first two matches at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Qatar’s performance, meanwhile, was marred by two red cards, including a vicious tackle that seriously injured Canada’s Ismaël Koné. The result puts Canada on the verge of advancing to the knockout stage, and it can win the group with either a victory or a draw against Switzerland. Qatar, meanwhile, now needs a stunning upset in its final game against Bosnia and Herzegovina to have any chance of advancing. Here are my four takeaways from the match: 1. Larin & David: Superb Together Before this World Cup, Canada’s biggest question was the form of strikers Cyle Larin and Jonathan David. Both have scored important goals and built impressive club resumes, but Larin had gone 14 games without scoring for Canada, while David was coming off a poor season with Juventus that fell well short of the level he had shown in France’s Ligue 1. In the opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch started David. After David struggled to make an impact, he was replaced by Larin, who scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw. Against Qatar, Marsch switched to a two-striker formation with Larin and David playing together. It could not have gone any better. David and Larin showed excellent chemistry in the blowout win. David scored twice and Larin once, and both were repeatedly involved in Canada’s goals. On the opener, David’s shot was saved by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada, but the rebound fell to Larin, who headed it home. The third goal followed a similar pattern, with the roles reversed: Larin’s shot was saved, and David was there for the easy finish. The second goal was a beautiful individual effort from David, who volleyed home a ball that came off a deflected shot from Tajon Buchanan. Then finally, with Canada running away with it late and Qatar down to nine men, David took an attempted shot from Nathan Saliba and slotted it past Abunada. David finished the game with fantastic stats that included eight attempts, five on target, and three goals. Larin, meanwhile, was 10/13 in passing with three blocked shots, two on target and a goal. This was on the heels of rescuing Canada in the first game. Just as important as the goals, both Larin and David now have momentum heading into more important games at this World Cup. The narrative now is not about their struggles, but rather their quality. This is a formation that Marsch might now be considering for future games. David and Larin can play together and the two of them can overload the defense with strength and physicality. 2. The High Line Suffocated Qatar In Qatar’s first game, it managed a 1-1 draw against Switzerland, in large part because the Swiss lacked urgency, which turned into frustration. Marsch was not going to make the same mistake with Canada going against an inferior opponent. The American coach had his team play with a very high line that immediately pressured Qatar every time one of its players had the ball. When Canada won the ball, typically in Qatar’s half, Canada was almost immediately into a dangerous position. It wore down Qatar, which were making poor decisions towards the end of the first half. In the 33rd minute, a dangerous Canadian attack resulted in a red card for Qatar’s Homam Elamin, which essentially made a comeback impossible. From there, the blowout was on, and it allowed Canada to score enough goals to move atop the group and ensure that the team only needs a draw against Switzerland in the finale to win Group C. 3. Johnson And Buchanan Dominated The Right In addition to Larin and David, Canada also had standout performances from right back Alistair Johnson and right winger Tajon Buchanan, who both dominated their side of the field. Nearly every dangerous play was created by either Johnson, Buchanan or both. Buchanan, a speedy winger for Villarreal, was explosive, and it was his run down the middle that drew the red card for the denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Johnson, who is a starter in Scotland with Celtic, was instrumental in his crosses and his passes into the final third. Both Johnson and Buchanan are of a similar background. Both were born in Canada in 1998 but came to the United States to play NCAA soccer, Johnson with St. John’s then Wake Forest, and Buchanan with Syracuse. Both then went into MLS via the MLS Superdraft. Johnson went to Nashville SC, followed by CF Montreal. Buchanan was with the New England Revolution. Now in 2026, both are with teams that were in the Champions League this past year and who will be in Europe’s top competition again next year. 4. Kone’s Gruesome Injury Casts A Pall The worst moment of the game — and the tournament — came in the 56th minute when Assim Madibo brutally fouled Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné. In the aftermath, the Canadian players became enraged toward the Qatari bench when the severity of the injury became obvious. Koné was stretched off but was able to acknowledge the enthusiastic Canadian fans with his leg fully wrapped. The Canadian players then huddled on the field together, and some were in tears. After Canada took a 4-0 lead, goalscorer Nathan Saliba found a Koné jersey and held it up to the crowd, who gave the gesture a warm ovation. Moving forward in this World Cup, Koné’s injury will surely continue to be a rallying cry for this Canadian team, which is tight-knit and wants to use this tournament to lift the sport in the country.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The referees have been active at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It took only 27 games across seven days for officials to allocate more red cards than they did during the entire 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. The record for red cards in a single World Cup stands at 28 in 2006. These moments led to penalty kicks, set pieces outside the box and offenses capitalizing on opponents down to 10 men. FOX Sports rules analyst Mark Clattenburg weighed in on the increase in red cards. “Players are well-behaved, but they’re just making mistakes in and around the penalty area, in maybe a panic,” Clattenburg said. “And not saying the players getting inside the penalty area and conceding the penalties are more than happy to commit a foul and commit a red card, knowing that they miss the next match, but now that they have 26 players on the roster, there are plenty of players to certainly cover [those] positions.” The record for red cards in a single World Cup is 28 in the 2006 edition of the tournament, and nine of those were straight red cards. Here’s a look at every red card and the impact they’ve had on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Madibo made an ill-timed tackle in the midfield on Canada’s Ismaël Koné. Koné was ultimately stretchered off the pitch as Qatar was reduced to nine men. With Canada taking an early 2-0 lead, Homam Ahmed’s desperate tackle on Tajon Buchanan just outside the box only made matters worse. Canada scored moments later against a 10-man Qatar side to increase the advantage to 3-0. Tarik Muharemović tackled Swiss striker Breel Embolo on the precipice of the 18-yard box, preventing a one-on-one between Embolo and the goalkeeper. Switzerland didn’t convert the ensuing set piece, but with Bosnia and Herzegovina down to 10 men, the Swiss went on to score three late goals and close out a 4-1 victory. As tempers boiled in the opening match, Mexico made it a three-red-card affair. César Montes took down Khuliso Mudau in an attacking position in the second minute of injury time. South Africa couldn’t capitalize on the set piece, and the match ended with a 2-0 Mexico victory. Themba Zwane was sent off for making contact with Brian Gutiérrez in the head during a South African attack. He put his team in a stick situation, down to nine men. Zwane’s suspension was extended from the normal one game to three after FIFA ruled it fell under Article 14’s rule for violent contact. In the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match, Sithole took down Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez just outside the box, earning a red card as the last line of defense between Gutierrez and the goalkeeper. Sithole’s red card led to a free kick from a threatening position, but Mexico couldn’t convert. However, in the 67th minute, Mexico capitalized on the one-man advantage as Raúl Jiménez scored his first World Cup goal.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Switzerland needed a response after limping to a draw with Qatar, and it delivered an emphatic one in the second outing. In the teams’ second match of the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, a 4-1 dismantling of Bosnia and Herzegovina — lit up by 20-year-old Johan Manzambi — pushed Murat Yakin’s side to the brink of the knockout rounds, leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina in real trouble. Here are my takeaways: 1. Johan Manzambi’s Coming-Out Party Remember the name, if you haven’t already. At 20, Manzambi came off the bench and scored a brace in 19 minutes. The power, the fearlessness and the perfect positioning — and on a side built around experience — he’s the jolt of youth Switzerland has been waiting for. Coming-out parties at a World Cup tend to be the start of something. This one felt like it. Let’s see what the Freiburg midfielder has in store for us going forward. Even before the tournament, he had a reputation as one of Europe’s most interesting and versatile young midfielders. Putting in this type of performance at a World Cup shows he’s oozing personality. 2. Switzerland Doesn’t Have A Galáctico. It Doesn’t Need One. Quick — name Switzerland’s superstar. You can’t, really, and that’s the whole point. There’s no Kylian Mbappé here, no name to sell a poster. What there is instead is a deeply experienced, ruthlessly organized European side that has now reached the knockout rounds at three straight World Cups. Granit Xhaka runs the midfield with the authority of a man who’s won a Bundesliga title; Manuel Akanji is a top-level center back; Gregor Kobel is one of the best goalkeepers around; Ricardo Rodríguez is at his fourth World Cup. Switzerland was a Euro 2024 quarterfinalist and went unbeaten in qualifying. After the Qatar wobble, this was the version everyone expected — patient, physical, lethal once the door opened. Stars sell headlines. A core like this wins you knockout games. 3. Muharemović’s Red Card Is A Hammer Blow I’ve called Tarik Muharemović the most underrated center back at this World Cup, and I’m not backing off it: composed, aggressive in the duel and a level above what’s around him. Which is exactly why this hurts so much. The red card brings a suspension, ruling him out of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s final group game against Qatar — the one match on its schedule it genuinely fancied. And this is a team that does not score in open play. It arrived having drawn a run of games 1-1, grinding out results rather than dominating anyone; the goals have been the problem all along. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most dangerous striker is a middle-aged 40-year-old Edin Džeko. Strip out the man who holds the back together, and the margin for error disappears entirely. Bosnia and Herzegovina needed Muharemović for all 270 minutes of this group. Now, it’ll have to do the hardest part without him. 4. Group B Just Flipped On Its Head A day ago, all four teams in Group B sat level on a point apiece after two opening 1-1 draws. Not anymore. Switzerland’s four-goal haul rockets it to the top of the table and to the doorstep of the round of 32. Beat Canada in the finale, and it’s likely through as group winners. Bosnia and Herzegovina, by contrast, is suddenly staring at the exit: still on a single point, goal difference shredded and now without Muharemović for a must-win against Qatar. The table isn’t fully set — Canada and Qatar meet Thursday, and that result, regardless of what it is, reshuffles everything beneath the Swiss. But the headline is simple enough. Switzerland seized control of this group in 90 minutes, and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s dream of a first-ever knockout berth just got a whole lot harder to reach.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

From ageless wonders to breakout stars, the first week of the 2026 World Cup provided some outstanding performances. We’re here to highlight, position by position, players who deserve some recognition after each of the 48 teams in the tournament have played their first Group Stage game. Matteo’s Top Performers Going with a 4-4-2 formation, there are plenty of recognizable names alongside players who will be worth watching closely the rest of the tournament. The 40-year-old kept the world’s second-ranked side scoreless, making seven saves in a 0-0 draw with Spain on Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup appearance. No one older has played in a nation’s debut World Cup match, and no keeper at this tournament has had a better afternoon. Morocco’s captain spent the night strolling through Brazil’s midfield and tearing up the left flank in a 1-1 draw that flattered the five-time champions. He’s now Morocco’s most-capped World Cup player, and still the most dangerous right back on the planet. When Curaçao stunned Germany with an early equalizer, the Borussia Dortmund center back restored order, heading home his first international goal in a 7-1 rout. Left-footed and calm on the ball, Schlotterbeck’s an important building block for Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann at the back. The most underrated defender at the tournament held Bosnia’s line together against a relentless Canada — never rushed, never beaten in a duel that mattered. Then, with the game on the line late, he threw his body in front of a goal-bound Larin shot to rescue the point. “Jedi” was the engine down the USA’s left in a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay, driving the ball forward for the move that teed up Balogun’s opener. Fulham’s asking price just went up on this evidence. He’s among the best left backs in the field. The teenage right midfielder dribbled and ran at Ecuador relentlessly. He created five chances — more than any player at the tournament — in the Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador. No goal, no assist, didn’t matter; you don’t forget a debut like that. The Brighton midfielder starred in a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia with two long-range thunderbolts and ran the game in between. One of those strikes is already on the goal-of-the-tournament shortlist. At 18, he sat in the middle of the park against Brazil and dictated, making Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães look a step slow in that 1-1 draw. Alongside Diomande, he’s the breakout teenager of the opening round — and he plays like he’s been doing it for a decade. On a night Brazil looked ordinary, Vini cut inside and smashed an unstoppable strike into Bounou’s top corner to salvage a 1-1 draw with Morocco. He was the one Brazilian who actually looked like he belonged on the favorites’ list. Two first-half goals — the second a left-footed beauty into the upper corner. He bullied Paraguay’s backline all night and finally looked like the No. 9 this nation has been searching for years. He walked off with the official Player of the Match award against Tunisia, scoring once and setting up another goal. His partnership with striker Viktor Gyökeres looked like it could become one of the tournament’s best strike tandems. Luis Miguel’s Top Performers Let me just say that it was not an easy decision as many players deserved a nod. But in the end, these stood out to me as the best XI independent of of position not just for how they played, but for their approach and resilience. Is there any need to think about anyone else? Having to deal with 27 shots and seven saves (six of them inside the box), the 40-year-old goalkeeper produced one of the best performances in recent modern World Cup history, helping Cabo Verde earn a historic point against mighty Spain. His Instagram following count is not too shabby either these days. In front of the aforementioned Vozinha stood Diney Borges, who alongside Roberto “Pico” Lopes, created a formidable center-back pairing in denying any attempt from Spain. Lopes was great but Borges? It was a steel-driven display from the defender, who plays for Al Bataeh in UAE’s Pro League. Freeman was undoubtedly the unsung, underrated gem in the USA’s imposing win over Paraguay. The 21-year-old defender (and son of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman) practically won every battle, and it was thanks to his pass to Weston McKennie that started the sequence that led to the first goal. Freeman was very, very impressive. The Colombian full back is quite simply Sonic the Hedgehog. When he gets forward and out of nowhere, he can create magic out of nothing. Especially when he has distribution from Luis Díaz, who found the Crystal Palace man for a beautiful goal, which opened the scoring against Uzbekistan. Portugal just could not handle how to break through this man. After Pedro Neto failed, Rafael Leão entered – but again, Wan Bissaka stood firm. The tackle against the aforementioned Leão was a remarkable block. It was so good that the camera turned to Portugal manager Roberto Martínez, showing his frustrated reaction, knowing that Wan Bissaka and his Congolese teammates were simply not going to lose. I was at the game between Brazil and Morocco and let me tell you something, Bouaddi was exceptional. He created opportunities and driving runs, leaving the Brazilian midfield lost in disbelief. At 18 years old, Bouaddi, who was born in the north of Paris to Moroccan parents, was only allowed to play for the Atlas Lions last March when he was cleared by FIFA after France coach Didier Deschamps never called him up. Well, France’s loss is Morocco’s gain. What a talent. I wanted to give this spot to Australia’s Nestory Irankunda, but apologies, because Bellingham truly stood out against a tough opponent such as Croatia. And there has been so much talk about his role for England, from his positioning to his attitude. It’s all ridiculous, and I am glad he had the performance we witnessed on Wednesday, which included a goal with a statement. It was a wonderfully aggressive, determined solo effort that was there to prove a point. Balogun gave one of the best performances by an American male striker I have seen at the World Cup. It’s as simple as that. He became the first USA men’s player to score a brace in a World Cup match since 1930, but more than that, it was movement and creativity that opened the doors for other teammates to penetrate Paraguay’s box. Fantastic stuff from the Monaco forward. It was a match for the ages where Mbappé became France’s all-time top scorer after his remarkable brace in a 3-1 victory against Senegal. I was there to witness it and my goodness, the electrifying power of the Real Madrid star stood out in the second half and when he turns it on, it’s really quite a sight. Did you ever doubt I was going to include this man? I mean, what else is there to say? What other superlative could possibly exist that hasn’t been mentioned? Lionel Messi’s hat trick against broke multiple records (and Algerian hearts) but most importantly, it was a reminder that days before his 39th birthday, he’s a genius – and the greatest ever. Full stop. Norway fans will be upset at me right now for not including Erling Haaland but I had to include Kane over the Manchester City striker due to two factors. One, the difficulty of the opponent. And two, their overall contributions. Kane was unbelievable against Croatia, proving why he is the greatest English male striker. Gary Lineker agrees after Kane’s brace leveled England’s record in World Cup goals. He also became the second England player to score in three different World Cups (after David Beckham.) But it was more than his goals. His overall game is so important for Thomas Tuchel’s game plan, opening the pitch and becoming a provider and protector.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Neymar has been ruled out of Brazil’s second World Cup match because of a lingering calf injury. The Brazilian soccer confederation said Thursday that Neymar wasn’t going to travel with the rest of the squad for Friday’s match against Haiti in Philadelphia. “He will remain in New Jersey to optimize the final phase of his recovery process,” the confederation said in a statement. The Brazilian confederation said the 34-year-old Santos player will continue his recovery at the facilities of the team’s hotel. Neymar was back on the training field for the first time on Tuesday, doing physical conditioning exercises. He rejoined his teammates for parts of the session on Wednesday, being applauded by them after getting on the field. Neymar has yet to practice in fuller sessions with the rest of the team since reporting to Brazil’s squad while nursing an injured right leg. Looking to play in his fourth World Cup, Neymar underwent tests on his right calf on Monday to determine the progress of the injury that he sustained while playing with Santos on May 17. The five-time World Cup champions began their tournament with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in Group C. There was widespread debate in Brazil over whether Neymar, whose first World Cup was on home soil in 2014, should have been called up for the tournament by coach Carlo Ancelotti. Reporting by the Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

With South Africa and Czechia looking to pick up the pieces from opening day losses, the teams played to a 1-1 draw in Atlanta as part of Group A action. Both teams are surely disappointed with both the result and the performances. For Czechia, the second half was frustrating as the team shifted to a defensive mindset to cling to a 1-0 lead. That approach backfired, and the team collapsed late and was unable to create meaningful chances to put the game away. For South Africa, the team struggled out of the gate and defended poorly on Czechia’s opening goal. Here are my four takeaways from the match: 1. Czech’s Initial Offensive Approach Was More Aggressive After its 2-1 loss to South Korea in its opening game, Czechia head coach Miroslav Koubek adopted a more offensive starting lineup against South Africa. The hope was that it would lead to the creation of more chances from the run of play, instead of overlying on set pieces. Czechia opened the game on the front foot with a 3-5-2 formation that was aggressive. Koubek’s approach paid off heavily as Czechia scored one of the earliest goals of the tournament, so far. The play began when forward Adam Hložek chased down a throw-in on the right wing. The Hoffenheim attacker then sent a ball to the edge of the 18-yard box straight out from goal. Hlozek’s ball found Michal Sadilek, who then combined with Alexandr Sojka before taking a return pass and firing a shot past Ronwen Williams. Sadilek and Sojka did not start the game but were two of the five changes Koubek made in the game to create chances from the run of play. Tactically, it was a departure from the opening game as Czechia seemingly had far more players in the attack than at any point it did during the loss to South Korea. The tactical shift also got more players involved in the game. One of the problems Czechia had in the loss to South Korea was inability to get Patrik Schick involved in the game. The Bayer Leverkusen forward is not only the team’s most important goal-scoring option, but he is also effective in the attack through his holdup play. Against South Korea, Schick had just 11 touches over 63 minutes. In the opening minutes against South Africa, Schick already surpassed his involvement in the opening game. 2. Koubek’s Failed Gamble Backfired After Czechia took the lead, the team’s approach dramatically changed. Koubek’s team became more defensive and compact. The fullbacks began sitting deeper with Sojka and Vladimír Coufal aiding the backline more than boosting the attack. Then in the 55th minute, central defender Jaroslav Zelený came into the game for Sojka as part of a tactical shift that boosted the backline. The conservative shift was geared more towards keeping South Africa at bay as opposed to finding more goals to put the game out of reach. Throughout the second half, Czechia conceded most of the possession and was guarded in its counterattacks to not get pulled out of a defensive shape. Koubek assessment was that his team’s defense could hold and that South Africa would not be able to crack through an organized defensive shape. Ultimately, the defensive shift backfired massively. In the 82nd minute, South Africa winger Thapelo Maseko hit a powerful shot that hit the arm of Pavel Sulc just inside the box. It was a close call but referee Mary Victoria Penso (who was leading the tournament’s first all-American, all-female crew) pointed to the spot. Teboho Mokoena then converted for a surprising equalizer. But after South Africa equalized, Czechia did not have nearly as many attackers as it needed to try to reclaim the lead. On top of that, Czechia’s biggest weapon is its set pieces and the team was unable to create anything dangerous from its set pieces. 3. South Africa Grew Into The Game South Africa’s history at the World Cup is poor. This is the team’s fourth World Cup and the first three have ended with a group stage exit. This draw was a small step in the right direction. Advancing is still unlikely as it would require a win over South Korea in the finale, but it no longer likely needs much help in other results. A win would surely suffice. South Africa improved throughout the game and began to push forward in the final 20 minutes of the game. Its possessions became more and more effective and several times it was able to get touches inside the Czechia box. Mokoena had a very good game even beyond just converting his penalty. By the end of the game, he was driving the attack. He finished the game with 120 touches and was extremely effective with his passing, both with short passes forward and long-range passes that switched the point of attack. In the end, however, South Africa was not able to find a winner and still hasn’t scored from the run of play in this tournament. It finished with 508 completed passes compared with 271 completed passes for Czechia. That edge led to 17 shots, and five on target. South Africa had the support of the crowd and played well at the end. But it waited too long to get going, and that was not enough. 4. The Path Forward Is Rocky Both Czechia and South Africa now have a single point at this World Cup through two games. Next up, Czechia has to take on hosts Mexico and South Africa meets South Korea. Both Czechia and South Africa must win their group stage finales, in what would both be upset wins. After this game, neither team has much momentum heading into must-win contests against strong teams. South Africa must play the way it did in the second half. Czechia must rediscover its set piece strength while also looking to press forward from the onset and not let up.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For the second time in as many 2026 World Cup games, I expect the USA will have the majority of possession on Friday against Australia. The looks that the team will see, though, will be very different. The way Australia will defend the USA will be very different compared with Paraguay. It will be up to head coach Mauricio Pochettino to make sure his team is flexible in how it can attack the Aussies in Seattle. Here’s what to expect from USA vs. Australia. There will be a similar defensive approach from Australia on Friday, like what the USA saw against Paraguay in its opening game, but it will be slightly different. Paraguay played in more of a mid-block. What does that mean? While the team had plenty of numbers behind the ball, its focus was more on defending the middle of the field. Australia will play a lower block and sit even deeper than Paraguay. The Socceroos will defend in a back five compared with Paraguay’s back four. With that, the Aussies will sit further back and be very content to soak up pressure. I’d expect that there’s only going to be about 20 to 25 yards of space between the Australia defense and its striker. One way to look at that is the cut of grass. Usually, those are about six yards long. Player To Watch Souttar was absolutely immense in Australia’s win over Türkiye. His positioning was flawless, and he won everything in the air. He was very much leading the defensive line as it moved up and down the field and kept the team in very good shape. Given how I expect Australia to play and defend Friday, the player in the center of defense, the anchor, will be crucial. If the Australians are going to get a result and stay strong defensively, it will start with him. I think Australia is going to be harder for the USA to break down than Paraguay was. It’s much more difficult to break down a low block compared to a mid-block, which Paraguay used. Türkiye struggled to create quality chances against Australia, despite having more than 25 shots. There were few clear-cut scoring chances where you’d expect someone to score. For the USA, adapting to how Australia plays and figuring out what works will be crucial. Is it getting the ball wide and swinging crosses into the box? Is it trying to overload Australia in wide areas? Türkiye struggled to adapt and find solutions, so the USA will have to learn from that. I expect that USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino will have training sessions this week that will very much be focused on breaking down a low block. Player To Watch Dest was quietly effective but didn’t get too much attention against Paraguay. That makes sense with Folarin Balogun scoring twice and Christian Pulisic thriving on the left wing during his 45 minutes in the first half. Dest was positionally disciplined against Paraguay. If he maintains that, I think we’ll see a couple more moments of him getting one-on-one opportunities against a defender in wide positions. If Dest is able to attack his defender and beat the first man in front of him, he’ll be able to unbalance the Australian backline. He’ll also be responsible for either putting in good service from the right wing or fighting to find position at the back post if the attack is coming from the left.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already seen plenty of absolute bangers, incredible moments and surprises … and we’ve only completed every team’s Match Day 1. Mexico opened up the tournament with a strong showing against South Africa, the U.S. men’s national team arguably had its best win ever at a World Cup and Lionel Messi tied the record for the most career World Cup goals with his hat trick on Tuesday. We’ve also seen 74 goals scored so far in the tournament, as 23 of the first 24 matches had at least one goal scored. But which goals and moments were the best of the best? Which teams should we be keeping an eye on for the rest of the World Cup? Former U.S. men’s national team manager Bob Bradley, former Canadian women’s national team player Kaylyn Kyle and U.S. men’s national team veteran Walker Zimmerman answered those questions as they dished Match Day 1 superlatives on “World Cup Now.” Favorite Moment Bradley: The USA’s first-half performance vs. Paraguay “I just loved the way we came out. I thought our football in the first half was fantastic. The tempo [on Folarin Balogun’s first goal was great]. Balogun has shown he can get goals and is sharp in the box and confident. But Christian [Pulisic’s] dribbling, Weston [McKennie’s] mobility, Balogun’s good positions in the box, Tillman moving around the field — there were so many parts to the first half and Paraguay just couldn’t get near us.” Kyle: Lionel Messi scores first career World Cup hat trick “I gotta go with the G.O.A.T, the great of all-time, Lionel Messi and his hat trick [on Tuesday]. Not only is he aging like a fine wine, but the ability to score goals like he did in different ways. I mean, his absolute goalazo outside the 18-yard box, then he finds himself driving inside the box — OK, it was sloppy from the goalie. But he was there at the right time, stepping up when his team needed him the most. Then, [his third goal] was just classic Messi.” Zimmerman: Curaçao’s Livano Comenencia scores vs. Germany “There’s a lot of storylines. I think you can go a lot of different directions with this. But I’m going to focus on some of the debutants and to me, the Curaçao goal was special. I know they ended up losing 7-1, but to get an equalizer against a top team like Germany and make it 1-1, I mean what a reaction of the Curaçao fans that are in attendance. This was special. This is what the World Cup’s all about. We’ve said it so many times. It’s full of amazing moments. The picture [of the Curaçao celebration] is what I have ingrained in my head. It was just a great moment.” Best Goal Bradley: Sweden’s Yasin Ayari’s first goal vs. Tunisia “He scored two great goals. He’s really important [for Sweden] in the midfield — interesting, he’s got a Tunisian father. Of course, this game is emotional. But I think he’s been a really important part of this Sweden team and I expect more.” Kyle: Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez’s goal vs. South Africa “It shows what footballers go through. It was his first goal in a World Cup for Mexico. This player has gone through so much mentally, physically and emotionally. We saw the scary injury he had with the fractured skull. He wears that headband that protects him on the side. But then, he starts crying here because he lost his father back in March. He does this on the opening match of a World Cup. I’ve played in a World Cup, home and away, and I’ve started in both of those games, but never scored in a World Cup. It’s emotional, opening up the tournament in front of your family and friends, but I cannot imagine doing it without your father in the stands.” Zimmerman: Austria’s Romano Schmid’s goal vs. Jordan “You look at Austria, you look at the way they won their game against Jordan, I think this was the best strike of the tournament. There’s been a few really good ones. But this is just a knuckle to the upper right corner, and that’s just a phenomenal strike and a great first goal of the game. It set the tone for Austria to get their 3-1 win over Jordan.” Team We’re Most Worried About Bradley: Brazil “Believe it or not, I’m a little worried for Brazil at the moment. I just don’t think the tempo was what we wanted from Brazil, and to be fair, I thought Morocco was really good. Morocco has a young midfielder, Ayyoub Bouaddi. He was sharp in the midfield and they’re very quick and Brazil in the midfield to me seemed slow and behind the play. I’m hoping that they can show more in the next match, but that was something of concern.” Kyle: Portugal “I feel like I might get crucified for this and I feel like I might be jumping the gun: I’m nervous for Portugal and I know, but hear me out. The only reason I’m nervous for Portugal is that they have one of the greatest players of our generation. You can throw [Lionel] Messi in there, you throw Cristiano Ronaldo in there. I think they’re both generational players and I think they’re both very different. “But when I looked at Portugal [on Wednesday], I felt frustration within the team and I felt frustration from Cristiano Ronaldo. Tuesday, we had [Kylian] Mbappé with a brace, Messi with a hat trick and [Erling] Haaland with a brace. Then [on Wednesday], you have Harry Kane with a brace, so maybe frustration is settling into him. I’m nervous to see what [Roberto] Martinez does with the lineup moving forward. Do you start him or do you bring him off the bench? What is best for the team? That’s my biggest concern.” Zimmerman: Türkiye and Ecuador “I’m pretty torn, so I’m going to list both of them. For me, it’s Türkiye and Ecuador. I think you look at both of these teams and they didn’t get a result and they got zero points out of the first game. What’s interesting is they’re now having to still face the toughest remaining opponents in their group. “Türkiye has to face the USA on match day three, but then also Ecuador, who has to face Germany and so you look at is three points going to be enough for them if they don’t? If they aren’t able to beat one of the stronger teams in their group. Those are two teams that I have my eye on, in terms of being able to get out of their group.” Surprise Team Kyle: Cape Verde “Vozinha was fantastic. Player of the match for so many reasons, but he came up huge for his country. Whether it’s saves off the line, tipping it over the bar, this was a guy we weren’t talking about. We always talk about in the world’s biggest tournament, young stars that will show up and show out, but rarely do we see someone that’s maybe an unknown in world football like Vozinha. “He gained over 12 million followers [on Instagram]. Any chance you want to send some of those my way? I will not complain, but these are what I love to see. He’s trying to get his mom to come to his second match, which is incredible to see. We saw her watching the game online, crying at all the saves, so phenomenal stuff.” Zimmerman: Sweden “For me, I think it’s Sweden. I think their performance to get five goals, I know they’re playing against Tunisia, who didn’t have the best start and are in a bit of a tumultuous situation, but here’s [Alexander] Isak. We talked about him before. His ability to control that 6-foot-4 frame and have the body control, the technical ability and you see him out there in transition with a great goal. “But for Sweden to put five away for me was a bit of a surprise, known as more of a defensive team who played with the back five, score a lot of set pieces, putting up five goals with a couple really nice goals from [Yasin] Ayari that we’ll see later on in the show. It was a surprise performance for me.” Golden Boot Prediction Bradley: France’s Kylian Mbappé “I’m sticking with him [Mbappé]. I just see something about him when he plays for France and he takes the role of being captain in a real way and there’s a commitment to what that team’s all about and of course when he’s got the right mentality he can do incredible things. We’ve seen it in the last two World Cups and I think that’s what’s going to happen again this World Cup.” Zimmerman: France’s Kylian Mbappé “I’m glad he got on the scoresheet early and then he snuck an extra one for me in stoppage time, but I think this France team is so good. I expect them to go far in this tournament and he’s a big reason why.” Kyle: England’s Harry Kane “This is because I don’t want to be divorced. I married an Englishman and I’m going to stick with it…Harry Kane. We saw his world class today. He was absolutely fantastic for England. The first goal, stepping up from the PK [penalty kick], the first one, the goalkeeper came off the line and he tried to retake it, he stepped up, calm, cool,  collected. But for me, he is the most informed striker in the world and I think England will go far in the tournament and that’s why I’m sticking with him. I just think he’s a fantastic player and he can hurt you in multiple different ways.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

One day after Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi all started their World Cups with multi-goal games, Harry Kane got in on the act — but Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t. The England captain scored twice in England’s win over Croatia, while Ronaldo couldn’t make a real impact in Portugal’s draw against DR Congo. Ronaldo’s role in the Portuguese team has been a hot topic, and his performance on Wednesday will not dispel any concerns. Here is everything you might have missed on Day 7 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Portugal vs. DR Congo England vs. Croatia Ghana vs. Panama Uzbekistan vs. Colombia BEST OF THE DAY Goal Of The Day Colombia entered its World Cup-opening match against Uzbekistan as a massive favorite, and it played like that was the case. Colombia dominated the first 39 minutes, but it needed a moment of brilliance to finally break through. Bayern Munich star Luis Díaz picked up the ball on the left side of the pitch and spotted a run from right back Daniel Muñoz. The lofted pass spotted the Crystal Palace man in stride and resulted in the opening goal of the game. Muñoz used the momentum of Díaz’s pass and flicked his shot past Utkir Yusupov to give Colombia a deserved lead. Assist Of The Day There were a few impressive assists today, specifically from both of Croatia’s goals, but a combination of England substitutes put the cherry on top of the Three Lions’ win. Saka picked up the ball on the right wing and drove forward, playing a perfect pass into the path of Marcus Rashford as he made a run down the left side. Rashford picked it up and finished calmly. While Saka and Rashford didn’t start, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the pair make more of an impact for England later in the tournament. Save(s) Of The Day Livakovic was busy on Wednesday, facing 22 shots against England. He made seven saves, multiple of which came on one sequence. First, England defender Nico O’Reilly headed toward goal and forced a reflex save out of Livakovic. Winger Anthony Gordon had a header from a few yards out saved, and then Livakovic thwarted defender Ezri Konsa’s effort from just a couple of yards in front of goal. He wasn’t done from there and made an impressive save off a shot from Kane just minutes later. It was an impressive performance from Livakovic, who plays for Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. Moment Of The Day Portugal took an easy lead against DR Congo after Neves headed home impressively. Wissa answered later in the first half, though, to make history for his country. This is DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup under that name. When it was known as Zaire in 1974, it lost all three games without scoring a goal. Wissa rose highest to head home impressively past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa. It was a wonderful moment in Houston for a DR Congo team that showed it’s not content to have just qualified for the World Cup. DR Congo had chances in transition late in the match, but it never seriously tested Costa again. At the final whistle, they will be thrilled to have won a point with the draw.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports